When a College Student Is Struggling With Depression

College brings new pressures — academic demands, changing routines, and separation from familiar support. When a student is struggling with depression, both the student and the family often have questions about what comes next.

Want to know if SAINT® is right for you?

Tell us about your treatment history and symptoms. A consultation is an evaluation, not a commitment — and it starts with your story.

Depression in college students can show up as declining academic performance, withdrawal from friends, difficulty functioning, and disrupted sleep or routine. Sometimes it's mistaken for laziness or homesickness. It is neither. Depression is a treatable condition, and recognizing it is the first step.

If you're reading this for yourself, you've already taken an important step. You don't need to have everything figured out. If you've tried medication or therapy and are still struggling, there are other options worth understanding. A consultation is a conversation — no pressure, no commitment.

If you're researching on behalf of your college-aged child, you can learn about treatment options and the consultation process. Your child must be the one to consent to and participate in treatment, but gathering information is something you can do now.

Curious whether you'd qualify?

If you've tried medication and you're still not yourself, you may be a candidate for SAINT®. Our team will give you a straight answer.

When standard treatments haven't provided enough relief, interventional approaches like TMS, accelerated TMS, SAINT®, and SPRAVATO® may be worth exploring. Each works through a different mechanism than oral medication. Whether any is appropriate is a clinical determination.

Treatment scheduling matters for students. Traditional TMS involves sessions over several weeks. Accelerated protocols like SAINT® compress treatment into five consecutive days. Some families coordinate treatment during school breaks or semester transitions.

Family support matters, and so does the student's privacy. With the patient's consent, family members may participate in consultations. Clinical details require the patient's consent. We respect both the student's autonomy and the family's concern.

Ready to talk to someone?

The hardest part is usually the first phone call. Everything after that is a series of small, defined steps.